Prior processes have prepared carboxy alkylated surfactants by reacting 1 mole of a high molecular weight alcohol ether with 2 moles of inorganic hydroxide in flake form followed by the addition of chloroacetic acid, a known skin irritant, to produce the corresponding non-ionic surfactant. However, this process generates eye and skin irritating alkali metal chloride by-product which is difficult and expensive to separate from the desired product. Also, the process requies a 1 mole excess of hydroxide reactant which is consumed in the reaction to form waste by-product metal chloride. Accordingly, the process makes inefficient use of the hydroxide to achieve alkylated surfactant product and involves time consuming, purification steps which must be employed where the product is to be used as a surfactant in cosmetic or medicinal applications.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present process to eliminate these deficiencies while providing an economical and commercially feasible process for making an impproved surfactant.
Another object is to provide a process for the preparation of a new carboxypropylated surfactant having superior wetting and leveling properties in a high state of purity and in yields above 85%.
Still another object is to provide a process which eliminates the use of a haloacetic acid irritant and which produces a non-ionic carboxypropylated surfactant.
Yet another object is to provide a process in which the chain length of the surfactant molecule can be extended and regulated by proper selection of adduct coreactant.
These and other objects will become apparent from the following description and disclosure.